Vehicle-wheel.



J. M. PAGE. VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLICIATION FILED JULY 20, 1908.

' Patented June 22, 1909.

UNTTED STATES PATniN T onnron.

JOSEPH M. PAGE, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

. VEHICLE-WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. PAGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Wheel, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to wheels for use in automobiles, carriages, andother vehicles, and has for its principal object to provide a novelform. of wheel tire or felly in which wood or other relativelynon-yieldable substance may be employed as a substitute for the ordinarycushion or pneumatic tire.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wheel tire or fellythat is formed of a series of independently movable sections soconnected together as to permit independent movement, the connectingjoints being so arranged as to prevent the entrance of dust or dirtbetween them.

\Vith these and other objects in view, as

will more fully hereinafter a pear, the invention consists in certainnove features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accom panying drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood thatvarious changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of thestructure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of awheel constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a frontview of a complete wheel constructed in accordance with my invention,the upper ortion thereof being shown in section on the ine 22 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a detail view of a modification.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The body of the wheel comprises a central hub 10, a plurality of spokes11, and an outer circular rim 12, to which the outer ends of the spokesare rigidly secured. The rim may be formed of any suitable material, andis pro-- vided at intervals with peripherally disposed recesses in whichare fitted metallic cups 13 for the reception of the inner ends ofhelical compression springs 14.

To the opposite sides of the rim are bolted Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed July 20, 1908.

bolt 25 which extends through radial s amen tea June 22, 1909.

Serial No. 444,393.

metallic rings 15 that preferably are formed of thin sheet steel orsimilar material, the peripheral portions of these rings extending somedistance beyond the periphery of the rim 12, thus forming a continuousgroove for the reception of a tire that is formed of a series ofindependently movable sections 16 connected by links 20. Each of thesections is of approximately the same width as the rin 12, and each endof each section is reversely curved, the parts interfitting in suchmanner as to permit relatively free movement of the, sections. curvaturecauses a head 30' l70 be formed in the end of one section at theperiphery of the tire, adapted to register in a socket 31 in the othersection; and a head 32 to be formed in the latter section,- at the inneredge of the tire, adapted to register in a socket 33 in the formersection. The head 30 and the socket 31, across which-the links extend,form a pivotal union between the the sections, and

the head 32 and the socket 33 co-act under the outward, radial thrust ofthe springs 14, to maintain the ahnement of the sections to limit thepivotal movement of the sections.

under the action of the springs, and to distribute the strain on theends of the sections. The reverse curvature of the ends of the tiresections, so fashions the heads and 32, that the same are not likely tobe sheared. or broken, under the yielding of the tire.

The tire sections are preferably formed of hard wood or other materialwhich will resist wear and the various sections are coupled in acontinuous annular series by means of links 20, the opposite ends ofwhich are pivoted on bolts 21 that extend through the tire sections andproject slightly beyond the op posite sides thereof.

he inner faces of the the sections are provided with sockets for thereception of metallic cups 22 which are located in radial alinenientwith the-similar eups13 of the rim and between each pair of cups arearranged the springs 14, there being preferably two or more springs foreach tire section, and when the parts are in place the the sections willbe spread and held outward to the fullest limit by means of saidsprings. i

In order to prevent circumferential creeping of the tire each of thetire sections is provided with an opening for the passage of a ots 26This reverse in the side rings. This, however, will not interfere withthe limited radial movement of the tire sections, while in case ofbreakage of the link connection the bolts would prevent the tiresections falling from position.

In operation, the weight of the automobile or other vehicle is imposedthrough the axle and hub and being transmitted to the rim, the s ringswhich successively arrive at a point be. ow and in the vertical plane ofthe hub will be compressed, so that the inner faces of the tire sectionswill approach the peri hery of the rim to an extent dependent on t eload.

Under ordinary circumstances the connecting joints between the varioussections of the tire will hold the tire in annular form, but whentraveling, over rough roads the sections may yield independently in case0bstructions are encountered.

Where the wheel is to be used on ice, small strips of metal may beapplied to the periphery of the tire sections, these stripscarryingsmall spurs or teeth 35, as indicated in In the following claimI have used the phrase socket and head at the inner edge of the tire;and as the said phrase, unaccompanied by proper ex lanation, might failto disclose the novel e ements of my invention with proper exactness, Iwill state that I refer thereby to the head 32 and the socket 33.

' What is claimed is In a wheel, a tire com osed of a plurality ofsections, the abutting aces of the sections being reversely curved,transversely of the tire, to form, at the periphery of the tire, a

head in the end of one section, and a socket in the end of the othersection, and to form, at the inner edge of the tire, a socket in the endof the former section, and a hea f in the end of the latter section; alink extending across the head and socket at the periphery of the tire,to form a pivotal connection between the sections; a wheel disposedwithin the tire; continuous rings disposed upon opposite sides of the,rim of the wheel to form a tire-receiving groove; and compressionsprings disposed between the rim and the tire; the socket and head atthe inner edge of the the being arranged to register, to

limit the pivotal movement of the sections under the action of the s rins.

In testimony that I dlaim t e foregoing as my own, I have hereto'afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JosEPH M. PAGE.

